


There's Always A Tomorrow

by Andimpink



Series: A Dangerous Game [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Abduction, Angst, Consensual Sex, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Jekyll and Hyde AU, Minor Body Horror, Miscarriage, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parenthood, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-01-27 19:20:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21397321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andimpink/pseuds/Andimpink
Summary: Picking back up where A Dangerous Game left off, you wake up after being taken by Jack.
Relationships: Ana Amari/Reinhardt Wilhelm, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Reader
Series: A Dangerous Game [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1542589
Comments: 33
Kudos: 90





	1. Despair

**Author's Note:**

> Word of warning: this story will not make much sense if you haven't read A Dangerous Game.
> 
> To those that have read A Dangerous Game,
> 
> Welcome back and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

You woke slowly, barely able to register anything of the world around you. Your eyes only managed to focus on the little details-- the barren dark walls of the room, the solitary lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, and a sliver of light that slipped into the room from beneath the door. From outside the room, you could hear the rustling of the wind and, occasionally, bird song. The room was cold and your body ached from laying on the grainy hard-wood flooring for so long. Splinters bit into your palms and forearms, as well as any other exposed skin you’d managed to let come in contact with the floor. Your wrists and ankles were bound together and you’d given up on freeing them a long time ago. Your mouth was dry and your stomach twisted with hunger, letting out a long and low growl.

Curling in on yourself even more, you let out a shuddering breath that you could see and let out a quiet groan. How long had it been since Jack had taken you? After falling unconscious, you did not know how much time had passed nor where you were. This room was what you had woken to every time. You’d lost count of how many times you’d groggily came to and been disappointed to see the same setting. It was slowly driving you mad. When you would finally break, you hadn’t a clue. It was just a matter of time before you succumbed to some ill fate, be it hypothermia or starvation and dehydration or perhaps all of these things. Knowing how agonizingly painful death from any combination of those conditions would be, you prayed that the roof of the room would collapse and kill you on impact.

Your hands moved to hold your belly, wondering if the child growing within you stood any chance. It was about 5 weeks along, last you had counted, and no bigger than a pea. The lack of food and water would not just impact you, but your child as well. The realization that you could lose the child before you even lost your own life hit you like a freight train. Tears welled up in your eyes and you choked back a sob. If you didn’t do something to break free, then you could very well lose everything that mattered to you. You’d never get to hold your baby. You’d never get to share it with Gabriel. You’d never get to see the child grow up and become everything that it wanted and more.

Sitting up, you didn’t even bother wiping your tears away for fear of getting splinters in your eyes. You stared at the door in front of you, wishing you had the strength to try move closer to it. Whatever Jack had given you to make you fall unconscious had seemingly sapped your strength. You didn’t know if it had been mere hours since your kidnapping or if it had been a few days, but you knew that the lingering effect of that drug still coursed through your veins. 

A breeze passed from beneath the door, making a shiver run down your body. It carried the scent of rain and something earthy that felt so familiar. You shut your eyes and tried to imagine what lay just beyond the door. The sky had to be grey and overcast, visible through the trees where birds had just began to build their nests for spring. You mustered up the image of some bunker hidden in the woods and you were kept in this shed a miles hike from it. There had to be something to prevent someone from finding you and rescuing you. The shed could be camouflaged from above by a canopy of trees and surrounded by a thick growth of bushes. 

Your imagination was still running rampant when you heard it-- footsteps. They were drawing closer and closer. The rain-sodden ground squelched beneath the pair of feet with each step and you held your breath as the sound stopped just outside the door. You looked down to see the shadow of the feet that was cast underneath the door, wondering who it was on the other side. Would they open the door? Would they keep walking? Your heart thundered in your chest as you heard the jingling sound of a set of keys. You had been locked in this whole time. Pressing yourself back against the wall, you waited with bated breath as the person on the other side worked on unlocking your place of imprisonment.

The door swung open and light flooded in, stinging your eyes momentarily as they adjusted. You threw your arms up to block the light and struggled to see through the brief blindness it caused. “Jack? Is that you?” you questioned, staring blearily at his feet as they moved closer. If it weren’t for your state of weakness and the wall you had your back pressed up against, you would have retreated further from this person. Rough hands grabbed you by your wrists and you yelped as you were pulled to your feet. Your arms no longer blocked your view and you lifted your gaze, the image of this person’s face coming into focus. “Jack.”

Anger swelled up inside you, but you couldn’t act on it. He had left you here in this room, cold and without food or water. You’d managed to hold your bodily functions in otherwise you would have been even more of a mess. Unsure of how long you’d been there made this all the worse. Holding you by your bound wrists, he jabbed your arm with another syringe and you jerked away as best you could manage. It was no use and you felt the warmth of the drugs coursing through your veins. This wasn’t like what he’d used to kidnap you. It was something else. As he scooped you into his arms, you felt your extremities tingling as the warmth reached them. Carrying you from the room, you were finally privy to the information of where you were.

It was the house in the woods, where Reaper had hidden you away for so long. The room that you had been in was the small shed off to the side of the house. Your imagination couldn’t have prepared you for seeing this place again. The shed had remained the same, but the house looked sturdier than before. The warped wood and splintering pieces had been cleaned up and fixed. Even the paint had been touched up, making it look almost brand new. The swing on the porch was gone and the front door was made of an even sturdier looking wood than the house. Taking it all in, silent tears poured down your cheeks as Jack carried you up the short steps and into the house.

Inside was even stranger of a place to you. The door had multiple locks now and the walls were lined with a dark, ballistic looking material. You glanced to the kitchen and the table was covered with maps and different sheets of paper. Long gone was the small vase of flowers Moira had made a habit of replacing every couple of days. You don’t know why, but you longed for that familiarity. You wanted those flowers to be there instead of Jack’s makeshift desk. You even found yourself not minding the thought of Moira appearing from the small pantry with her arms full of items to use for dinner. It frightened you that you longed for something from that time. Looking away, you did your best to put it out of mind.

Jack carried you past the completely empty living room and into the room you had once shared with Reaper and Gabriel. The bed was completely gone, but the mattress was shoved into the corner of the room. Thick iron rings were drilled into the wall above it and from them hung chains. They were long, probably so whoever they held could move around and use the bathroom in the room over. You swallowed the lump that had risen to your throat, knowing that those chains were to imprison you. Jack dumped you onto the mattress and reached for the chains, attaching them to your bound wrists with a lock he pulled from his pocket. They felt so heavy, even with your strength slowly returning to you. The moment his hands dropped yours, they fell into your lap.

“Why are you doing this, Jack?” you asked as he moved to untie your ankles. His ignorance peeved you greatly. He had yet to say anything to you or explain why he was doing this, why he was working for Talon. When he pulled the bindings from your ankles, you tested just how much of your strength had returned. With a quick motion, you bent your knee and kicked Jack square in the chest with as much force as you could muster. He stumbled back, almost falling over, but managed to stay standing. The impact reverberated up your leg and you felt a tingling numbness for a brief few seconds. However odd the sensation, it was worth testing. Given your full strength, you could maybe stand a chance of fighting if you needed to. 

Jack’s gaze was cold and angry as he righted himself. “Do that again and I’ll take you back out to the shed.” he threatened through clenched teeth.

“I’ll do it again if it gets a response from you.” you shot back. “Jack, answer me. Please. Why are you working for Talon? Why are you doing this? Was it something Jesse or I did?”

The man looked conflicted. His face fell for the briefest second and returned to a harsh scowl. “I don’t have to answer to you. You answer to me.” he growled unconvincingly. 

“Is it because they want Gabriel dead?” you pressed, thinking back to when they kidnapped you. Gabriel said he had enemies and if Talon was after him, then it made sense why Jack had you. They knew Gabriel would come for you if you were in danger. “It is, isn’t it?” Jack said nothing and you knew it to be true. “So I’m to be bait for Gabriel.”

“Or Reaper.” Jack added, his eyes meeting yours. You held your tongue, knowing that he had meant to go for a low blow like that. It stung, but not worse than his betrayal. “Whoever gets here first.”

Jack started walking away, heading for the door he’d brought you through. You still hadn’t heard his reasoning for working with Talon or the reasons that Talon had for going after Gabe in the first place. “After pretending to help Jesse and I, you owe me an explanation, Jack.” you called out. He paused. “Please. I will listen and I won’t say anything. I just want to know why you’ve turned your back on me.” _ On Jesse. On Gabriel. On everything that I thought you stood for. _ “Please.”

Jack opened the door, pausing just long enough to say, “I can’t.” The door shut behind him with a soft click and then you heard the lock snap into place.

You wanted to scream. You wanted to run to the door and pound on it, all the while yelling for Jack to answer you. You wanted to break free from your chains and leave Jack wondering where you disappeared to. You felt stupid for letting yourself get into this situation. If there was anything Gabriel taught you, it was that people couldn’t always be trusted. He’d tried to warn you, even if he had only meant himself.

Rising from the mattress, you went to use the bathroom. That room seemed to be the only one that Jack hadn’t changed. As you stepped inside, you felt a chill fall over you. You caught your own gaze in the mirror, holding it as your mind conjured up the image of Reaper in the reflection behind you. The chain hanging from your bound wrists was held in one of his hands, the other resting on your shoulder, even though you couldn’t feel it there.Taking a shuddering breath, you shut your eyes and willed the illusion to go away. Your throat tightened and you choked in your next breath, the memories of all that had happened here trying to force their way back to the front of your mind. Why did it have to be here? Why did Jack take you to this place filled with so many wretched memories? 

Opening your eyes back up, Reaper was gone from the reflection. Relief washed through you, but you weren’t going to risk putting yourself back in that place. You moved along, finishing your business and hurriedly washing your hands, so you could return to the adjacent room.

However, that familiar sense of dread followed you from the bathroom. It was as if he was still there, purposely tormenting you from out of sight. As you settled back onto the mattress, you drew your knees up to your chest and hugged them. Your body was shivering, even though the room was far warmer than it had ever been when Reaper held you captive there. It was also much warmer than the shed just outside the house. There were no sheets, not even a thin blanket, for you to pull around your shoulders. Leaning into the corner of the room, you tried to relax and find a semblance of comfort.

Your body shook and your teeth chattered, the chill overtaking your body penetrating and violent. What was happening? Your stomach twisted and you felt a growing, aching pressure low in your abdomen. In an attempt to relieve that pressure, you stretched your legs out in front of you. It helped momentarily, but then the pressure reached its threshold. Your stomach churned and you rolled to the edge of the mattress as quickly as you could before vomiting what little was left in your stomach. Sitting there, you dry heaved for a few more minutes after your stomach had been emptied.

You sat back up, your abdominal muscles aching even more so after vomiting. Perhaps even worse than vomiting, you realized a dampness between your legs. The vomiting and dry heaving had probably made you wet yourself a little. Feeling disgusted, you got up and moved back to the bathroom so you could clean yourself up. Avoiding looking up at the mirror, you pulled down your pants and moved to strip away your underwear. Your pant leg got caught on your heel and you grumbled in annoyance. As you kicked your pants aside, your eyes caught sight of something strange. Bending down, you picked up your pants, turning them inside out and looked for what had caught your eye. When you found it, your heart skipped a beat and you dropped your pants.

Blood.

Your pants had blood stains. 

“No. No, no, no.” you said aloud, panic growing with each syllable. Reaching down, you pulled your underwear down and saw the bright red spots that had stained through to your pants. Your legs gave out underneath you and you sank to the floor, wanting nothing more than to have your hands freed so you could hold your abdomen. The coldness of the floor seeped into your skin, but you didn’t care. You didn’t care that you were half-naked on that bathroom floor where Jack could walk in and find you like that. Not even the blood slowly trickling down and pooling beneath you on the floor became a bother. None of that mattered. Nothing mattered in that moment.

“My baby.” you muttered brokenly, your heart shattering at the realization of what had happened, was happening. You choked back a sob. “My baby.” you repeated, tears starting to flow down your cheeks. Agony, grief, fear was all you knew in that moment. Your abdominal muscles cramped and your body shook with every soul wrenching sob that passed your lips. You wanted to die. You wouldn’t care if Jack threw you back out in that shed. You wouldn’t care if Reaper came storming in, guns ablaze and took you for himself. All you could think of was the overwhelming feelings that filled you. You felt everything and nothing as you thought of the life your child would never have.

At some point, the bathroom door connected to the rest of the small house swung open. Jack walked in and found you lying there, mostly out of it. He swore and rushed over to you. The man was unsure of what to do, his hands just hovering over you while he thought. You were still quietly sobbing and not registering that he was even there. When at last he decided to try and move you, he slipped an arm under your arms and the other beneath your knees. It was a struggle to get you off the ground with how limp your body was in your despair. The man managed and, once he had you in his arms, he carried you back into the room.

Depositing you back onto the mattress, he knelt down and removed the chain locked to your wrists. He untied your bounds and set them aside before shrugging off his long coat. You were still shivering, just more violently than before. Jack laid it over the top of you, hoping it might help. You continued bemoaning the loss of your child, all the while Jack pondered getting help. He knew there was a chance for infection to set in if things weren’t handled properly. There was the chance you could bleed out if things weren’t healing as they should. However, asking for help would put yet another person in the path of danger. He couldn’t risk his mission by taking you to a hospital-- Jesse would be watching for you as they had before with the help of Athena.

Mercy crossed his mind momentarily, but Jack knew that she would have questions, the kinds of questions he couldn’t answer. Not to mention that he’d already caused her enough trouble by having her look into the blood samples from Gabriel’s apartment. She’d not help him if she didn’t know the full story this time around. 

A thought hit him-- the doctor that was seeing to Gabriel. Dr. O’Deorain worked for Talon if she worked for Reaper. When he had prepared this place, he’d cleaned it out of everything that had been left behind. He’d found the burner phone with its solitary contact-- one Moira O’Deorain. It hadn’t crossed his mind to use it before, but now it seemed like he might need to. Glancing down at you, he felt guilt wash over him. It was the least he could do. Besides, he might be able to find out what was going on with Gabriel. 

After making sure you were fine for the moment, he moved back to the kitchen. The burner phone sat with the rest of his belongings, as well as the journal you’d kept during your time here. He hadn’t opened it and knew if he did, his feelings of guilt and shame would only become worse. Picking it up, he flipped the outdated technology open and pressed the call button. It automatically dialed the doctor’s number and the line began ringing. The line rang a few times before he heard the click of it being answered. Clearing his throat, Jack spoke.

“Dr. O’Deorain,” he started, “I am in need of your services. I believe you are familiar with Miss (y/f/n).” A breath hitched from the doctor’s line. “Doctor?”

No answer came. Not a single word. He could still hear the doctor’s breathing through the phone, however. The woman was being difficult it seemed.

“If you do not comply, then I will have to bring it up to Commander Mercurius.” he continued. “(Y/n)’s life is in danger and she will die if you do not get here in a timely manner. I will…” Jack trailed off, feeling that something was off. The doctor would have responded if she’d answered the phone. Whoever had it before would have been of importance to the woman and she’d at least be a bit eager to hear from the person. “You’re not Dr. O’Deorain, are you?”

After a few moments of silence, a response came-- _ “No, I am not the doctor.” _

The voice sent chills down Jack’s spine. He recognized the voice, despite its distortion. He knew exactly who it was on the phone now. “Gabriel.” he gritted out. “Where is Dr. O’Deorain?

_ “Not available to see patients.” _ he replied. “ _ Neither is Gabriel.” _

Oh. “Reaper.” Jack corrected himself.

_ “What have you done to (y/n)?” _ Reaper asked him, venom dripping from his slowly spoken words. _ “Why is she in need of that damned doctor?” _

“It is more of a concern of what you did to her.” Jack lied. “If you want her to live, then you will bring Dr. O’Deorain and surrender yourself to Talon. Should you choose not to comply, then I will let her die or kill her myself. Meet us at your safe house in the woods within the next hour or she dies.”

_ “Always knew you were a snake in the grass, Morrison.” _ Reaper growled, catching Jack by surprise by using his name. _ “You and Mercurius will pay for crossing me. I will take great pleasure in ending your miserable existence.” _

With that, Reaper hung up and Jack set the phone down. Reaching for his pulse rifle, he picked it up and tried to ready his mind for what was to come. Reaper’s words didn’t scare him, but the impending confrontation did. If he failed, he would die whether it was by Reaper’s hands or Mercurius’. As well as that, he’d lose Vincent and any chance of redemption, if there was a chance.

Jack moved back into the room with you, sitting at the end of the mattress. You’d curled yourself up underneath his jacket and had fallen silent. He could still see you shivering, but it was significantly less than before. His coat was stained with the blood from your miscarriage and he had to look away from it for fear he’d vomit.

Shifting his pulse rifle in his lap, he leaned back against the wall. His eyes would stay glued to the door, the only way into this room, and wait for Reaper to come. When he did, Jack would not hesitate to end him then and there. Only then, could he be at peace, could free himself and Vincent, and never be seen again.


	2. Only You

Jack was monitoring his watch, counting every minute of the hour that passed with his pulse rifle sitting heavy in his lap. The impending conflict hung like a weight around his shoulders. Rain pattered against the tin roof noisily. Next to him, you were breathing softly, still fast asleep. Everything had him on edge, waiting for Reaper to appear from the shadows. Jack’s breath hitched in his throat when the house groaned as the wind picked up and the rain pelted harder against it. Every time, his hands found their way back to his firearm, ready and willing to shoot the next thing that seemed out of place.

You turned in your sleep, whimpering and curling further into yourself underneath his coat, drawing his attention. Jack looked down at you, knowing you would never be the same after today. Guilt sat even heavier on him than what he had yet to face. He didn’t think he’d ever see you again once all was said and done, but he’d know the damage he’d done to your innocent life. He would remember every gruesome detail of finding you laying there in a growing puddle of your own blood, shivering and unable to do anything other than lament a death he hadn’t intended to cause. 

Gabriel had tried to protect you from this all. He had been a fool for avoiding everything he believed he had to fear, despite those things coming to pass anyways. You couldn’t have known, nor could anyone working for him. Reaper chose the most opportune moment to strike, taking Gabriel’s fear and turning it on himself. You were dragged into it all by him and became stuck there. With Reaper now in control, he would stop at nothing to be rid of his other part. As well as that, nothing stood between Reaper and you except for Jack. Here he found himself being the one to drive it home-- ending the life of both Reaper and Gabriel. His hands would be stained with three deaths.

He only hoped he’d be long gone before he could see your reaction.

Jack checked his watch and looked up at the ceiling. It was drawing near the hour mark he’d set. If Reaper showed up, then everything would be as he planned. The monster would fall and Jack would retreat into the shadows that it came from, knowing he would never show his face in the light of day.

If not, Jack could not bear the thought of going through with what he’d threatened to do. There was one thing Reaper seemed to want more than being free of Gabriel and that was you. With you gone, there was a small chance Reaper would be made vulnerable. On the other hand, he seemed such a cold and heartless being that he could very well be even more unreachable. 

Shaking his head, he pulled his pulse rifle up against his chest. With ten minutes to go, Jack prayed he wouldn’t have to wait much longer before he would make an inescapable decision.

**… **

Rainfall and the sound of the wind against the house pulled you from your sleep. Your despair still hung over you, but you’d shed all the tears you had. Sitting up, you groaned as the motion made your insides ache. Your legs were sticky from the bleeding and the mattress beneath you was soaked with it. A small sound of frustration passed your lips, wishing you could go and shower in the room over. Something slid against your legs and you finally noticed Jack’s coat over your bare lap. It too was stained, but that is not what all. Just beyond where your feet stuck out from under it, was Jack.

He was watching you, an unreadable expression on his face. Your eyes were drawn to what he cradled against his chest. In his hands, he held a pulse rifle. You must have made an expression of fear upon seeing it because he sighed brokenly before speaking--

“I’m not going to hurt you, (y/n).”

You said nothing in response, unable to even think of anything to say. The trust you’d held for him was long gone. Eyes looking away from him, you wished there was something else you could look at to avoid being drawn back to the traitor of the century. 

Shifting your position again, a hiss of pain passed your lips as your abdominal muscles cramped tightly. Your hands instinctively wrapped around your belly, hugging tightly as you rode the waves of pain pulsing there. 

“Can I get you anything?” Jack questioned softly.

You shook your head, not wanting any help from him. Jack had already done enough to prove his first statement was false. A few moments later the pain died down, returning to the dull ache you had woken to.

“Are you really not going to speak to me?” 

“Yes.” you bit harshly, tired of Jack bothering you. It was his fault you were here. It was his fault you’d lost so much. 

“I’m--”

“Sorry?” You turned to look at him, finding it unbelievable he was attempting to apologize. “You’re sorry, Jack? News flash-- you don’t get to be sorry. This was all your doing. You chose to kidnap me. I’ve lost everything because of you. You chose to work with Talon, so don’t go-”

“I did not choose to work for Talon.” Jack snapped back at you. “I was forced. It was my life on the line if I didn’t. And I’ve lost too.” He sighed, anger retreating. “I am losing with every minute that passes, (y/n).”

You rolled your eyes, not allowing his words sway you as they’d done before. Your eyes fell to his rifle again. “Just kill me and be done with it.” you challenged, wanting nothing more than for this nightmare to end. “Gabriel isn’t coming. Reaper won’t either. They both know not to.”

“I can’t do that. Not to you.” Jack breathed.

“Why not? You’ve killed the only thing I had left of Gabriel and now I am to become prey so you can kill him.” you said, well-deserved bitterness drenched in your words. You felt emptier than Reaper had ever made you feel-- you were alone, you were back in the middle of the dangerous game, and devoid of the hope of ever escaping. “ What is one more person’s blood on your hands, Jack?”

“You will walk away from here, (y/n).” Jack stated, looking you dead in the eyes. “Unharmed.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you will of me, but I will keep my word this once. For good.” Jack said. “And then you will not see me ever again, I swear it. I will leave you be.”

“But nothing will ever be the same again.” you responded, knowing that thought to be true. It was hopeless, just as you should have seen from the very beginning of this all. You should have seen this loss coming. You should have moved across the country the moment you were rescued from Gabriel’s apartment; a place where you were nobody important, where you could have started your life over, would have been your best chance of escaping this fate. Anger with yourself rose within you, a self-hatred that you’d never felt prior. Your emotions were waging a war within you and Jack’s presence, his empty words, were just stoking the flames. “I still don’t believe you.”

Just then, a soft ringing came from across you. Jack turned his wrist in front of him, his watch the source of the quiet alarm. Sighing, he shut it off and rested his head back against the wall. 

“What was that?” you asked curiously. He said nothing, but you could see that he was disappointed. His shoulders sagged and the expression on his face spoke volumes. “Jack, what was that alarm for?”

“Nothing.” he said quietly, as he pushed himself up off the floor. Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, he headed for the door. He paused before leaving, turning back to look at you. “If you need anything, I’m just in the room over.”

The door closed behind him and you knew he didn’t lock it, but you’d rather remain far away from Jack and his meaningless offer. Punching the mattress next to you, the rage you felt with Jack seemed it wouldn’t retreat as he had. The alarm had to have meant something important and anything otherwise was out of the question-- he hadn’t left the room to check his chicken casserole. There was something he was hiding from you, something that he refused to let you in on-- but what was it? 

**… **

“We’ve got nothing, Jesse.” Genji said, sitting down in the chair across from him. Both men looked weary from their tireless search for what had happened the night before. Jesse had returned to find both Jack and (y/n) missing, as well as a discarded syringe of some unknown drug. Dr. Ziegler had confirmed it to be a knockoff anesthetic with some pretty nasty stuff mixed in with it. It was clear you had been taken, but with Jack in the room it wouldn’t make sense for their not to have been a bigger scuffle. 

“There’s gotta be something. Get Winston and Athena on this. They might be able to help us.” Jesse ordered. The security cameras showed no footage of anyone leaving or entering the room except for when Jesse left to get dinner. Unless they came in through the windows fifteen floors up or through an air duct, there would be some trace of someone getting in. It just plum didn’t make sense and Jesse was going to get to the bottom of it.

“They’re already working on it. Have you tried Jack’s cell phone again?” Genji asked.

“It goes straight to voicemail.” Jesse growled. “Something had to have happened to him as well. He always answers. Always has.”

Pulling out his phone, he opened up his connection to Athena’s monitoring. There were no new feeds, but the old feeds still showed from when they’d been trying to keep an eye out for Reaper. Jesse idly scrolled through them, hoping Winston would have Athena looking into camera footage from any surrounding buildings and businesses, as well as traffic control cameras. There were no new sightings, not even false alarms, of which there had been a handful before. Hope seemed miles away with nothing pointing them in a direction. 

A hand on his shoulder pulled his attention away. “We’ll find them, Jesse.” Genji assured, standing next to him. “We didn’t give up on Gabriel, still haven’t. We won’t give up on (y/n) or Jack either.”

“I know.” Jesse sighed. There was nothing pointing out that any of them were gone for good. It would just be a matter of time until something would show up-- that much was clear.

Genji excused himself, going to head down to Winston’s lab, leaving Jesse alone. The cowboy pushed his chair back from his desk and stood, pacing over to stand in front of the wall length windows looking out over the city. Looking down towards the ground, Jesse knew that this room would not have been easy to get into and out of without being seen. Perhaps it had been Reaper with his ability to teleport, but Jack would have been here to apprehend him. You would have fought-- Jesse hoped you would have. 

The door creaked open behind him and Jesse turned over his shoulder, wondering what Genji would have returned for so soon. “Genji, I thought you--”

Jesse had his peacemaker out in an instant, drawn and ready to fire if necessary. It hadn’t been Genji that had come through the door. He’d seen the shadowy figure retreat into the corner of the room, where it blended with the darkness. Backing up against the window, Jesse eyed the shadows in the room, willing any of them to move.

What he hadn’t expected was for them to speak.

“Put your weapon away, cowboy.” Reaper growled, his voice seeming to come from everywhere. “I’m not here to fight you.”

Jesse did not budge, his pistol remaining exactly where it was. “Where is (y/n) and Jack? What have you done with them?”

Reaper laughed. “You should be asking what Morrison has done to (y/n). He’s the one that took her.”

Jesse frowned, not believing Reaper one bit. “You’re lying. There is no way he could have gotten both of them out of here unseen--”

“Unless he looped the footage.” Reaper cut in, stepping out of the shadows behind Jesse’s desk. Inky mist spread across the floor as it cascaded down off of his body. Much to Jesse’s surprise, Reaper looked much less intimidating than he thought. He was cloaked in the black vapor, but was still quite human. As he looked into the eyes of this monster, Jesse realized that it wasn’t just Reaper he was looking at. His eyes widened at the sight of Gabriel’s familiar face, only it was marred by jagged scars and his eyes were black as the mist seeping from his body. As he spoke, more poured from the corners of his mouth. “Despite your doubts, you must know that Morrison is capable of treachery. If my saying so won’t convince you, have Genji look into it with Winston.”

“Gabriel…” Jesse breathed, lowering his weapon slowly. He knew that Reaper was no ordinary man, but seeing what this half-way state had turned Gabriel into made his stomach lurch. In addition to the almost corpse like appearance, Jesse wondered why he hadn’t been able to smell him coming from a mile away-- the stench of rotting flesh, of  _ death _ , filled the room unlike anything Jesse had experienced before.  _ Nobody deserves this _ \-- Jesse thought to himself.  _ Nobody. _ “What happened to you?”

“O’Deorain--though we won’t be bothered by her any longer.” Gabriel said through gritted teeth. Jesse swallowed, understanding that she was probably long dead. The monstrous form of his boss sat down at the desk, relaxing back into the chair as much as he could in his state. It wouldn’t have surprised Jesse if Gabriel had let out a sigh of relief. Rather, the man glared up at Jesse with a cold anger swirling in his void-like eyes. “You promised you’d protect (y/n).”

“I--” Jesse bowed his head dejectedly. “I know.”

“They’re at the cabin in the woods. Jack has holed up there.” Gabriel continued, his last statement having only been to inflict damage upon the failure of his security chief. Jesse wasn’t entirely to blame, but Gabriel was not willing to admit that aloud. “He’s reinforced it and I don’t know if he has backup or not. I couldn’t risk showing up there and having him do something to (y/n).”

Jesse lifted his head, realizing why Gabriel was here.

“You are asking for my help.” he stated plainly. “You know where they are. How?”

Gabriel’s jaw clenched. “He called O’Deorain using the burner phone and I answered. He said that he was in need of her services-- that (y/n) was in need of her services.” Jesse’s eyes widened, following the meaning in those words.

“Damn him.” Jesse swore, his anger rising. He carded his fingers through his hair, turning away from Gabriel and pacing back and forth in front of the windows. (Y/n) was in a fragile state as it was. With her previous experiences and then finding out she was… Jesse stopped dead in his tracks, snapping his head back to look at Gabriel. He didn’t want to think about the possibility of…  _ that. _ He couldn’t bear that thought. “What has he done?”

“I do not know.” Gabriel responded, shrugging his shoulders. “He gave me an hour to surrender myself or else--” Gabriel’s face fell for a moment before he shook his head and continued. “--or else he’d kill her.”

“Jesus Christ, Gabe!” Jesse exclaimed. Rushing over to his desk, he grabbed his hat and placed it atop his head. “We have to go then. We have to get there.” He rushed over, grabbing his coat off the rack by the door and slung it over his shoulders, slipping his arms into it. “Let’s get--” Jesse started, turning to find Gabriel still seated at his desk. “Gabriel?”

The man didn’t respond.

“Gabriel.” Jesse barked, finally gaining his boss’ attention. “We can’t waste any time.”

“I can’t do it.” Gabriel said. “I can’t face her like this. I can’t put her through her worst nightmares again.”

“Then why the hell are you here asking me for-- dammit, Gabriel.” Jesse stomped over to his desk, slamming his fist down on the polished wood right in front of Gabriel. He pointed a finger at his boss and leaned forward over the desk. “You listen to me Gabriel Reyes, I am not going to let you do this to yourself. I am not going in your stead, you hear me? The only way (y/n) is getting saved is if we go together.”

“Jesse--”

“(Y/n) loves you, you chicken-hearted bastard. Only you.” Gabriel looked away with those words. “She’s been doing all she can to move on from what  _ Reaper _ did to her-- not you. We’ve all been working tirelessly to find you and now that the tables are switched, you’re giving up on her. You’re giving up on her and she needs you, Gabe.” Jesse reached out and grabbed the collar of Gabriel’s shirt, forcibly turning him back so he could look him in the eye. “She never once gave up on you. She still hasn’t. I bet that little lady is just sitting there in that house, hurt and afraid, wondering if it will be you or me bursting through the door to save her.”

“I’m not going let you--” Gabriel started again, just to be cut off once more.

“You may not believe it, but I know that she’s just hoping it will be you. I know that because--” Jesse knew he had to say it. He had to tell Gabriel, whether the man was just being difficult or he truly believed (y/n) would not want to see him. Given the possibility that something may have happened to (y/n) and the baby, Jesse could not hold that bit of information back. “I know that because she’s told me she’d give anything to see you again-- to tell you that you’re going to be a father.”

Time stood still for the period of a few seconds that it took for Jesse’s words to register. The chief security officer watched the series of emotions that passed over Gabriel’s face, able to read each and every one of them.

Gabriel couldn’t breathe, the shock of what Jesse had just told him short-wiring his mind. A small hitch of his breathing is all that resulted, but once he could wrap his mind around this news he looked up at Jesse.

  
“A  _ father _ ?”


	3. A Beginning to the End

“You haven’t eaten.” Jack stated plainly, retrieving the untouched sandwich on its paper plate from the floor next to you. He glanced at it and then back to you. “You need to eat, (y/n).”

_ As if I’m the one that needs to be reprimanded… _

“I’m not hungry.” you lied. In truth, you wanted to devour that sandwich and then some, but watching Jack squirm because of your refusal to cooperate was worth it. “Go away.” you huffed, rolling over to face away from him.

Your abdominal muscles tightened and you tried to hold back the quiet groan of pain that slipped past your lips. Tears stung your eyes as you tried to shut it all out for what seemed like the thousandth time in the past few hours. The emptiness you felt was more than just emotional emptiness. This emptiness could be felt with each aching cramp, reminding you of what you'd lost.

“(Y/n)--” Jack said softly as his hand came down to rest on your shoulder.

You flinched away, only serving to worsen the pain. “Go away, Jack. You’ve done enough here. I don’t need you to save me or try to make up for what you’ve done. It will never be enough.”

“It was never my intention for this to happen.” Jack sounded like a broken record. You couldn’t count on your hands the number of times he’d tried explaining himself with that reason. It sickened you the way he thought he was deserving of forgiveness. “I will not leave until you eat, (y/n). You need to keep your strength up.”

“I’d rather die.” you spat bitterly, annoyed that he wouldn’t just leave you be. “Besides, all I am is bait for Gabriel. What does Talon want with him anyway?”

“He outed them to some feds. They tried cutting a deal with his business, a shady one at best. Gabriel was blind to their goals and when those came to light, he sent the government after them. It nearly got rid of the organization, but it wasn’t enough.” Jack answered. You rolled over to face him, wondering why he had actually answered your question this time. He moved closer, bending down and setting the plate next to you. “I will continue explaining if you agree to eat.”

You glanced at the plain sandwich of bologna and cheese with a light layering of mayonnaise. He was bargaining with you and you knew it. If you ate the sandwich, you’d be giving in to him, but you’d be getting something in return. Mulling it over for a few seconds, you decided you’d cave this once. You reached for the sandwich and picked it up, taking a small bite. Jack looked relieved and, as he’d said, he continued telling you why Talon was after Gabe.

“They gathered those who had scattered at the first sign of trouble and brutally exterminated them one by one. It was at that point that they started recruiting anyone and everyone they could, by any means necessary. Some came willingly. Others, like myself, were forced to join their ranks or face the consequences.” Jack explained. “Reaper joined and became a force to be reckoned with among the organization. He was ruthless to everyone, even his fellow Talon agents. They wanted him to end Gabriel Reyes for having crippled their once booming organization.”

“Only he couldn’t.” you added. Jack nodded.

“It became even more complicated when he became fascinated with you.” Jack continued. “Talon believed you to be important to Gabriel, a weak spot they could prod at in order to get him to comply. Reaper brutally murdered a cohort for mentioning you. (Y/n), he’s dangerous, more dangerous than you could ever imagine. Talon is after them both now and they know that the two are one in the same.”

“Reaper is dangerous-- Gabriel isn’t.” you argued.

“And Gabriel has no control over him.” Jack pointed out. “To Talon, it doesn’t matter whether they’re dangerous or not. They’ve both crossed the line with the organization and they want their revenge.”

“Then why are you helping them, Jack?” you pressed. “You’re being forced to, but you could leave. You could, I don’t know, run and hide.”

Jack shook his head slowly. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because they have leverage. The moment I step out of line, they’ll use someone I love dearly to draw me back in.” Jack answered. He looked you in the eyes, a tragic sorrow swirling in those blue eyes of his. “I’d be powerless to save him.”

Your heart sank at his words. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, something you understood quite well. It didn’t excuse his actions by far, but the little understanding you’d just gained softened your view of Jack. “I see.” you admitted. “And if you fail?”

Jack said nothing, but you saw it in his face, in the way his shoulders slumped even further-- Talon would make him pay for something that wasn’t even his doing. They’d kill whoever it was they were using against Jack as some sick punishment. 

How had things become so twisted? Jack was no hero protecting you, though he tried his best. You had never foreseen Gabriel and Reaper’s fate either, but it was so strange nonetheless. Your life had been so derailed the past few months that you weren’t even sure where you left off. Where would you begin when this was over, if it would ever be over? It was already clear nothing would be the same and you wanted so badly to know if you’d make it back to some semblance of normal.

For Jack, it seemed that he’d be hard pressed to get back to his life without Talon looming over him like a shadow. You looked for words to convince him that maybe there was something Jesse and Gabe could do, but nothing sounded believable to you and it probably would be even more so to him. Maybe there wasn’t anything you could say to him. 

You slowly pushed yourself up from the mattress, inching your way to your feet. Your body ached, but you didn’t care. Once you were upright, you took the few steps to close the distance between Jack and yourself. He had only lifted his head to see what you were doing when you closed your arms around him, hugging him tightly. 

“Wh-what?” he stuttered, his muscles tensed beneath your embrace. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry.” you whispered with your cheek pressed up against his chest. This wasn’t easy by any means. You still hated what Jack had caused, but you could see just how much it was hurting him now. You understood why things had ended up this way. If there were to be anyone to show him some grace, it had to be you. Maybe it was just your emotions overwhelming you, but all these thoughts brought tears to your eyes. “I wish there was something I could do to help-- something that wouldn’t lead to anyone’s death.”

“It’s alright.” Jack sighed, trying to pull away from you. You knew it wasn’t alright and held him tighter.

“I’m sorry that you didn’t have any other choice.”

“(Y/n), you don’t have to--”

“I’m sorry that you don’t have a choice now.”

“You don’t need to feel sorry for anything, (y/n). Stop this.” Jack said with a harsh tone as he broke from your embrace and grabbed your arms to hold you at a distance. His gaze was glued to the ground between you two and you could feel the slight tremor of his body through his arms. A shuddering breath was sucked in through clenched teeth as he tried to keep his emotions from taking over. “I can’t change what has to be done. I’m sorry.”

You took a deep breath, feeling your own emotions welling up inside you as you gave your last words on the conversation.

“For what it’s worth, I--”

Jack said your name with a serious tone, cautioning you against finishing your sentence.

“I want you to know--”

“Don’t.” Jack warned with an almost defeated tone in his voice. His breaths came a little faster and his grip on your arms tightened. “I don’t want this from you, (y/n). I don’t deserve it. You don’t have to--”

_ “I can’t forgive you, but I hope one day I will be able to.” _

The slam of the door did not surprise you as Jack fled the room. You stood where he’d left you, looking down at the floor. There was no mistaking what you’d seen land there in that single spot, just as there was no mistaking what you’d seen on his face as he turned to go-- tears and an expression of such regret you’d never seen before. Maybe you had crossed a line, but maybe it would change his mind about his impossible situation. Only time would tell.

**…**

Gabriel’s mind was running as wild as Jesse’s driving. The two of them wasted no more time arguing after Gabriel grasped hold of the shocking news-- he was to be a father. Something about that word pulled himself closer to the surface of his mind, pushing Reaper’s hold on his mind slightly. A warmth radiated from the center of his chest and he felt lighter. It was a feeling he’d not experienced before in his life and especially not one he’d felt when Reaper was running amok. 

However, worry still weighed heavily on his mind. You were pregnant and that would mean twice the loss if Jack followed through on his threat. Anger boiled just beneath that worry-- Reaper wanted his revenge just as much as Gabriel did. If anything happened to either of you, there would be hell to pay. If he had any say in it, Reaper would sit this one out. Gabriel feared what he would do if given control-- would he take you and run again? Would he turn on Jesse? Would it be the last time Gabriel had control of his own body?

** _“Gabriel…”_ ** Reaper growled inside his head, his voice coarse and terrible. He wanted control and that scared him into a tense silence. Gabriel looked over at Jesse, wondering if it were possible he could hear Reaper too. His security chief’s eyes were on the road ahead of them and it was no surprise he seemed completely oblivious to the voice in his passenger’s head.  ** _“You’ll be powerless to stop me. Love is weakness. Worry is weakness. You are a weakness.”_ **

_ “Go away.” _ Gabriel begged his counterpart, not denying his accusing words. They were daggers of truth meant to cut into his heart, making him doubt himself even more. Yet, they only fueled him to keep his grasp on his own mind, however true they were.  _ “I can’t let you free. Not again. Not ever.” _

Reaper’s dark and sinister chuckle rang in his ears.  ** _“You will try, my friend. You will try and you will fail.”_ **   
“You’re kind of quiet, boss.” Jesse said, breaking the silence in the vehicle. Gabriel let Reaper’s voice trail off into the back of his mind. He glanced over at the young man, not sure what to say that wouldn’t worry Jesse. “Something on your mind?”

“What do you think?” he responded pointedly, referring to the situation they were in.

“My bad.” Jesse drawled. “Just thought you might be--” The security chief trailed off, abandoning what he had just about said. Gabriel finished it himself, internally, letting every bit of it sting--  _ the damned ingrate was concerned Reaper was taking control.  _ “I’m just worried is all. I’m sure you are too and especially since there’s more than just (y/n)’s life at risk.”

“Jesse?”

“Yes, boss?”

“Shut up and just drive.” Gabriel growled.

The silence fell back over the small space of the transport. Gabriel gazed out the window ahead of them, the start of the woods growing closer on the horizon. It wouldn’t be too much longer until they arrived. The plan was to leave the transport on a separate backwoods road so it wouldn't give them away to Jack. They’d continue on foot to the house and attempt to lure Jack outside. Jesse would hold him off while Gabriel sneaked inside to get you to safety. Once that was accomplished, Jack would either surrender himself to arrest or face the consequences at the end of Jesse’s Peacemaker.

If either of them failed, there was no saying what would happen to them or to you. Jack could just as easily end their rescue efforts and use you to his advantage as he’d already done. You were the bait and, for all they knew, Jack could be waiting for them with Talon’s forces backing him up. It was dangerous to be going in blind on small details alone with a plan so full of holes that if it were a ship, it would sink the moment it set sail. Yet, Gabriel knew he’d navigate even the most treacherous waters if it meant saving the last bit of light left in his God forsaken life.

Even if it meant laying down his life for yours. Talon’s pursuit of him would end today, whether he walked away with you in hand or not. This was the day and he would not look back for anything. Destiny beckoned and Gabriel would answer with guns blazing; if he were to get caught in the crossfire, then so be it. Nothing would stand in his way-- not with two precious lives hanging in the balance.

As Jesse turned down the maintenance road where they’d leave the transport, Gabriel readied himself for what lay ahead. He prayed, to whatever beings were out there, that you and his unborn child would make it out alive.

“Ready, boss?” Jesse asked.

“Let’s go.”

**… **

Captain Mercurius was furious. It had been two days-- two whole days since he’d been promised an end to all their troubles. In those two days, he had heard nothing from Jack Morrison. Phone calls went unanswered; messages were left unread. Mercurius knew where the agent was hiding. There was service there and, while spotty at best, Mercurius still should have been able to reach him with other agents. None of them had returned with news and Jack’s radio silence spoke volumes about his given word-- or lack thereof. 

It appeared that he would need to deal with this himself. Morrison had better have a good reason when he arrived, as he was already in a transport and headed for the Reaper’s safe house in the woods. The agent would comply or he’d face the consequences. Mercurius would no longer allow anyone to stand in Talon’s way. Either he would carry the organization to their ultimate goal himself or he’d kill those standing in the way.

As he drove down the winding roads leading out of the city, his anger only mounted. If he were to find what he suspected to be true, then there would be hell to pay. So many lives hung in the balance of the impending confrontation and they would only serve to fuel Mercurius’ rage. He would have anyone’s head if it meant Talon gaining back the respect it had lost-- starting with the man who started this whole mess. 

At long last, his transport bumped down the rough road surrounded by trees. Through the surrounding woods, he could see the house ahead of him. Jack’s transport was parked outside, otherwise it would have seemed nobody was there. He brought the vehicle to a lurching stop and clambered out. His boots sunk in the mud from the recent rain storms and he swore under his breath. Walking to the back of the transport, he retrieved his pulse rifle from the back. He slung the firearm over his shoulder with its strap and slammed the trunk shut.

He trekked up to the front door, grumbling with each mud-suctioned step. When at last he stood on the small porch, he raised a hand, closed in a tight fist, and pounded on the solid wood door. Silence followed. “Morrison, I know you’re in there!” he shouted, pounding on it once again. “Open up!”

No answer came and Mercurius reached for the door knob to test it. His hand closed around the cold metal and gave it a slow turn. Much to his surprise, it gave way-- the door had been left unlocked. It swung open slowly, hinges squealing as it did. He took a step inside, reaching for his pulse rifle. It knocked against the combat knife sheathed at his hip before he grasped a hold of it. “I’m coming in, Jack.” he called out before doing just that.

His footsteps echoed in the nearly empty space of the room. He walked over to the kitchen, where he found Jack’s set up of equipment, seemingly abandoned. There was his holopad and maps of the surrounding area, but little else. Even his pulse rifle was missing. Mercurius frowned and looked to the counter by the small gas stove, where there sat an open jar of mayonnaise and a partial loaf of bread. Someone had just prepared lunch, it seemed. Perhaps Jack had gone for a picnic. That thought irked him as he made his way back to the main room. 

As he rounded the wall separating the kitchen from the rest of the house, he heard a thud from behind the door closest to him.

Someone else was here.

It took him only four large steps to reach that door. Holding his rifle in his hands, he kicked the door clean open with a mighty roar and took two steps into the room. His eyes were wild with anger and looked for the coward of a man who’d double crossed him.

Only, Jack was nowhere to be found. 

However, sprawled out on the floor by a bloodied mattress, on their hands and knees, was a familiar sight-- one that nearly brought Mercurius to a bout of laughter. Slinging his rifle back over his shoulder, he moved over to his interesting find.

“Well, what do we have here?” he exclaimed, kneeling down to grab a handful of hair before pulling you up to look him in the eyes. “Hello, love. Where’s Jack?”


	4. The Strongest

“We should be getting close.” Gabriel said as they came upon a small bridge over a creek. Jesse glanced over his shoulder at his employer and friend, who had been silent for most of their trek. Gabriel’s lips were pressed tightly together and his eyebrows knitted, yet his eyes conveyed such solemnity. Jesse knew that this situation was eating him up and, until they got to the safe house, there wasn’t anything he could do about it. 

Jesse faced back forward, only to stumble as his boot, once again, had managed to find a very muddy spot of ground. _ Damn all this mud _\-- he cursed internally as he pulled his foot free. Gabriel had walked ahead of him and was waiting across the bridge. Parts of the creek were still frozen, but water ran freely beneath the places where the ice had broken away or melted. Jesse glanced at the creek, knowing that the water must be frigid and the banks even more dangerous with mud than the surrounding woods.

After catching up with Gabriel, the two continued on their way, side by side. The two were vigilant, unsure of what they might come across. Jack and any other Talon agents were the biggest concern, but there were other things out here-- wild animals. Spring was just around the corner and it wouldn’t be abnormal for hibernating animals to lumber from their caves in search of food. Jesse kept one hand on his trusty Peacekeeper in case they were to come across any danger.

“Just over this hill and then it's just a short walk to the back of the house. No more than a quarter of a mile.” Gabriel said, nodding to the one in front of them. The line of trees thinned out towards the top of the steep hill. Jesse frowned at the slough of dead leaves and muddy ground they’d have to track through. 

Before either of them could start the climb, a blast of gunfire had them diving for the cover of the closest tree. Leaves and mud sprayed into the air between where the two hid. Gabriel glanced over at Jesse, who had already drawn his revolver. _ So much for not being found out-- _he huffed internally.

“I’m giving the both of you till the count of three to come out from behind there and surrender or else.” Jack shouted from wherever he had been laying in wait for them. They hadn’t seen any type of security measures that would have given them away. How had he found them? “One!”

“Shit.” Jesse muttered. “Jack! You don’t have to do this!”

“Two!” Jack continued. “Time’s ticking.”

Jesse glanced over to where Gabriel was. Only, he wasn’t there. “Shit, shit, shit.” Jesse panicked. Where had he gone? 

“Surrender now!” Jack called out, as his final warning. Jesse couldn’t see where Gabriel had gone off to. How had he disappeared just like-- “Three!” 

Jesse prepared for more gunfire, but it did not come. Rather, he heard a loud thump and a groan followed by a string of cursing. Jesse peered out from behind the tree and, much to his surprise, found Gabriel wrestling with Jack on the ground. Jack’s pulse rifle had been shoved, barrel first, into the mud and it was clear Gabriel had caught him by surprise.

The two exchanged blows, trying to get the other to give up. Gabriel landed a solid hit to Jack’s jaw, dazing him momentarily. Jack jerked his knee into Gabriel’s stomach, managing to scramble away from him momentarily. They were hit for hit, matching blows and dodging what they could. When it seemed like Gabriel had Jack almost pinned, he’d slip out and continue fighting. Jack would grab Gabriel, only to have him slip through his hands as he willed his body to shift into his wraith form. 

“Give it up, Jack.” Gabriel growled, practically sitting atop Jack with his knee pressed into the man’s chest. “You can’t best me.”

Jack spit in Gabriel’s face, blood from a hit to his nose having mixed with his saliva. “Just kill me then!” Jack managed to weasel his way out of being pinned and scrambled to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Gabriel followed him to his feet, trained on his opponent. They waited, trying to see who would attack first. “Isn’t that what you’re here for?”

“I’m here for (y/n), you traitorous son of a bitch.” Gabriel snapped, circling Jack. “Where is she? What have you done to her?”

“She’s back at the house. I never planned on harming her.” he said, eyeing Gabriel cautiously. They turned with each other, never once glancing away. “I just needed to get to you.”

"Then why did you try contacting Moira?” Gabriel pushed, moving a step closer. Jack retreated a step. “Why did (y/n) need to be seen by her?”

Jack ignored the question, taking a swing at Gabriel. Gabriel dodged out of the way, only to be faced with another swing, and then another. “I don’t owe you anything. Talon has tasked me with ending your miserable excuse for a life. I will one way--” Another swing and Gabriel dodged, readying himself for the next. “--or another.” Gabriel grabbed a hold of the next lumbering swing Jack made and flipped the man over his shoulder. Jack hit the ground hard, a groan of pain joined his audible forced exhale from the impact. 

Jesse had been watching, waiting for a moment to step in and help. The second Jack hit the ground, he was upon him with Peacekeeper pointed right between the man’s eyes. “Get up.” he commanded. When he didn’t, Gabriel walked over and hoisted him up. “You’re going to help us.”

“And if I don’t?” Jack sneered. 

“Then I’ll make you suffer every bit as I have.” Gabriel threatened, his thick black mist rolling off of him in thick clouds. His eyes burned with the fires of hell and, in that moment, he’d do anything to Jack that he damn pleased if it meant saving you. “I’ll take everything you love and destroy it right before your very eyes.”

“Talon’s already threatened me with that.” Jack said through clenched teeth. He struggled in Gabriel’s grasp, but couldn’t break free. Jack, with nothing left for him to do, gave up. He dropped his head, knowing there was no way to win. Gabriel had bested him and it would be the nail in the coffin when Mercurius found out. Jack took a shuddering breath mixed with anger and defeat before speaking. “There’s nothing left for you to take from me other than my life, so just do it. Talon will end me for this disgrace, for my failure to see to your demise.”

“Maybe I will.” Gabriel growled, but Jesse placed a hand on his shoulder before he could follow through on his words.

“Not yet. We need him, Gabriel.” Jesse cut in. Gabriel’s heated gaze turned on his chief of security, wanting to convince him otherwise. Jack had been nothing but a thorn in his side. He was a traitor and had possibly harmed the only person he cared for. His death would resolve his problems and Gabriel was thoroughly convinced of that. “We need him, Gabriel. Remember the plan.”

Gabriel gritted his teeth, pushing his anger away for Jesse’s sake and for yours as well. Jack was of some use to them alive. Gabriel turned back to the man in his hands, determined to get what they needed from him. “Tell us what security measures you have around the house. Is there anyone else there? Is that even where (y/n) is?”

Jack bit his cheek, refusing to give in. Jesse pressed the cold barrel of his revolver to the man’s temple, unafraid of threatening him with what he wanted. The fear was enough to get him to speak. “There aren’t any security cameras. Didn’t have time for those. Yes, (y/n) is there.”

“And no one else?” Gabriel pressed.

“No. It’s just me.” Jack snapped. “No one else.”

“You’re coming with us.” Gabriel looked to Jesse, and he nodded in agreement. “If you’re lying--”

“I’m not.” Jack growled.

“Let’s go.” Jesse said. Gabriel let go of Jack and Jesse pressed the end of his Peacekeeper into the man’s back. “You start to run and I’ll shoot without hesitation. You know what I’m capable of. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Jack sneered.

The three made their way up the hill and down to the small worn path that would lead them to the house. With every step, they drew nearer to rescuing you. Jesse prayed that you were in one piece, alive and well. Jack’s words weren’t convincing, but they were at least some indication that you were at the safe house. 

Gabriel wanted to run the rest of the way. He’d kick down any door, break through the walls, just to get to you. Even if he were walking straight into a trap of Talon’s design, he’d face it to get to you and his child. He glanced at Jack walking in front of them, wondering if he knew of your pregnancy. Did he know you were carrying his child?

A few more minutes of walking and the thick underbrush lining the natural path cleared out. Ahead of them, they could see the house. The path ended kitty-corner to the back side of the house. One could see the drive way from there and the small shed off to the side. As the three looked towards the house, they all came to the same realization:

Someone else was there.

The sight of a second transport in the drive drove Gabriel’s vision to go red.

Jesse muttered angrily, ready to blow Jack’s body full of bullets.

Jack’s heart dropped into his stomach, recognizing the second transport.

“You said you were alone.” Gabriel said, through clenched teeth. His fists tightened into balls and he resisted knocking Jack’s lights out in one fell swoop. “You must really have a death wish, Morrison.”

“I didn’t know anyone would be coming.” Jack gulped nervously. “I swear I didn’t, but that is besides the point. (Y/n) is in danger.”

“Well shit, we knew that.” Jesse growled angrily. “All thanks to you. You lied to us, you traitorous snake.”

“No. That is Mercurius’ transport.” Jack said. Gabriel froze. “He came looking for me cause I’ve been radio silent. He’s going to know I haven’t killed Gabriel yet. Jesse, he’s--”

“Going to find (y/n).” Gabriel finished, knowing fully what that implied.

If you weren’t harmed before, then you would be if Mercurius had gotten his hands on you which he surely had. Without further hesitation, Gabriel raced towards the house. Jesse called out for him to stop, knowing he could be running into a trap, but Gabriel could not hold back the roiling wave of anger. Reaper was furious. Gabriel was concerned that you were now in the hands of someone more ruthless than Jack. He couldn’t care less if he was running to his death, but he’d never forgive himself if you had been harmed by Mercurius.

** _“If she is harmed, Gabriel, it is your fault.”_ ** Reaper hissed at him. ** _“I will take control if I have to. You will not stop me.”_ **

“You will do no such thing.” Gabriel bit back. He couldn’t put you further in danger with Reaper taking control.

**“****_You have no control over me, despite what you may think. I am tired of your failures. I am sick of watching you bumble around like the idiot you are.”_** Reaper taunted. **_“You’ve never kept anyone safe in your life, Gabriel. (Y/n) was safe with me. She was kept far from danger.”_**

“The only danger she has ever been in is because of you.” Talon may have been his fault, but Gabriel couldn’t have anticipated them taking interest in you. It had been Reaper who had caused her harm in the first place. 

** _“I am you, Gabriel.” _ ** his counterpart laughed wickedly. ** _“You have yet to accept that, it seems. We are one now, more than ever, thanks to Dr. O’Deorain. It is only a matter of time until one of us wins this body over and believe me when I say that it won’t be you.”_ **

“It won’t be you!” he snapped. “It will never be you, Reaper. Do you know why?”

**_“Not. A. Clue.”_** Reaper replied smugly.

“I am stronger. Stronger than you ever will be.” Gabriel huffed as he met the end of the path leading down to the house. “I care for (y/n). I am terrified of hurting her, but I know now that there are bigger dangers out there. You said we are one in the same. If that is true, then you must be terrified of harming (y/n) as well.”

Reaper fell silent and, for the first time in a very long time, Gabriel didn’t feel that odd sensation at the base of his neck. There were no cruel whispers echoing through his mind. 

With Reaper silent, Gabriel felt more at ease as he reached the porch of the safe house. From inside, he could hear shouting- Mercurius presumably. His voice boomed angrily and Gabriel sneaked in the open door, weary of finding more Talon agents. The shouting came from the single bedroom and that door was slightly ajar, allowing the heated words of the Talon commander to pour out into the rest of the house.

“I will ask you one more time, Miss (l/n).” Mercurius seethed. “Where is Jack?”

“Please!” you cried, your voice trembling. “I told you I don’t know. He left a while before you got here.”

Gabriel slipped into the room in his wraith form, quickly hiding in the shadow of the closest corner. Mercurius held you by your hair with one hand and the other brandished a knife. Half-naked, you held onto his hand with both of yours, trying hopelessly to pry his hands from your hair. Blood covered the mattress in the corner of the room and it caked your inner thighs. The sight made Gabriel’s blood run ice cold. 

Mercurius would pay dearly.

**… **

Mercurius yanked you closer to him, resting your chin on the end of his knife. The cold metal against your skin made you flinch, the movement making you weary you’d cut yourself on his knife. “You try my patience,” he growled. “Don’t make me cut this pretty face of yours. It would be such a shame.”

“I don’t know.” you sobbed, knowing nothing you said would make him believe you. There was no way you saw yourself surviving this. Where the hell had Jack ran off to? Why hadn’t he returned? You’d prefer his cruelty over this man’s brutal interrogation.

“Very well, then.” the stranger said. You squeezed your eyes shut, expecting the sting of the knife slicing into your skin. 

“Drop her, Mercurius. It’s me you want.” 

Your eyes shot open. _ Gabriel! _

The man holding you turned quickly, dragging you with him. He had drawn the knife away from your neck, brandishing it towards the open door. “Come out, Reyes.” he barked. “Come out or she gets it.”

From the corner of the room, Gabriel stepped out of the shadows. You gasped at the sight of him. He looked barely human, barely like himself, but you knew it was him. Those brown eyes gazed at you, full of worry.

“Gabe!” you cried out, your hands reaching for him rather than trying to free yourself.

“Take one step closer and I’ll kill her, Reyes!” the Talon commander shouted, his knife flying back to your throat. Your breath hitched in fear as the cold metal brushed your skin without breaking it. Gabriel stood there, frozen in place with his eyes on you. He shifted his feet, Reaper’s mist-like substance pooling around them. This seemed to make your captor nervous and he gripped you tighter. “Or are you Reaper?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Gabriel said slowly. “Does it?”

“I suppose it doesn’t.” Mercurius said nonchalantly. “Either way, you’re dead. And--” Mercurius shook you in his grasp, the knife bouncing away from your neck momentarily. Your heart leapt into your throat and a quiet gasp of fear passed your lips. “If you don’t comply, then (y/n) here will be.”

“She’s got nothing to do with this.” Gabriel pushed calmly, his eyes staying locked on you. He glanced at Mercurius, taking a deep breath that made his chest heave. “This fight is between us. She means nothing to Talon other than a means to get to me. Her death will not further your cause.”

“Oh, but it will bring you pain.” As if to prove his point, with a slight twitch of his wrist, the knife scraped against your skin. It nicked your throat and you cried out.

“No!” Gabriel shouted, taking a single lurching step forward. 

Mercurius yanked the both of you backwards and you cried out again. You choked back a sob and Mercurius chuckled darkly, the sound making your body shake with fear. He hushed you, the sound like nails on a chalkboard, bringing the knife up to where you could see your blood on it’s metal surface. “See what you just did, Reyes? You hurt her.” Mercurius taunted. 

“Please let me go.” you begged. “Please.”

“I’ll let you go, sweetheart. I promise.” Mercurius cooed at you, making your stomach churn with is false sweetness. His arm swung out to point at Gabriel with the end of his knife.“I’ll let you go when he lies dead at my feet! On your knees, Reyes. Beg for your life. Beg for me to spare the life of your little whore.”

You watched as Gabriel dropped to his knees, his eyes never leaving yours for a moment. Why was he giving in so easily? Why wasn’t he fighting back? “Let her go, Mercurius.” Gabriel ordered, but it sounded so cold, so distant. It was too much like when he ordered Moira to take you away. “I am not going to beg for anything. You may take my life and be done with this petty fight, but I ask that you not make her stay and watch.”

“No, Gabriel. You can’t do this.” you said. “I won’t let you do this.”

“It sounds like the little lady wants to stay and watch.” Mercurius taunted. 

“She will leave.” Gabriel said sternly. “Those are my conditions.”

Mercurius laughed as he started for the door, dragging you with him. “Come along then, Miss (l/n). It seems Gabriel doesn’t want you anymore.”

“Let me say goodbye. Please.” you begged, digging your heels into the ground. “Please let me say goodbye to him.”

Mercurius stopped, turning to you. “You may do so right now. I won’t let you go to him, so do it from right here. Five minutes.”

“Thank you.” you said quickly before turning to look at Gabriel. “Why are you doing this, Gabriel?” You wished you could slap some sense into him. If he were to do this a second time, you knew you’d never forgive him. He couldn’t just throw you aside for your safety and forgo his. You wouldn’t stand for it. “I love you. I can’t go on without you. If you die, I die too.”

“(Y/n), you are making this harder than it has to be.” Gabriel said. “There are more important things for you to worry about.” He paused, swallowing nervously. “I left everything I own to you so-- so that you will want for nothing. Our child will want for nothing.”

“Gabriel,” you said brokenly, knowing he hadn't pieced together the blood on your thighs and the mattress. He had to have heard from Jesse or Jack to know you had been pregnant. Where were those two? Had he even brought Jesse with him? Regardless, you knew you had to tell him yourself. He had a right to know, even if it broke him like it had broken you. “I-- the baby.” Your shoulders shook and a fresh wave of tears rolled down your cheeks. Heat washed over your face and you looked away from him, unable to meet his gaze as you told him what had happened. “It’s gone. It’s gone, Gabriel.”

There came no response. Gabriel didn’t say a word-- not a single damn word. It felt like your heart had been ripped from your chest. You’d turn to look at him, but you didn’t want to. If you did, you didn’t want to see his emotionless eyes looking at you. He probably wouldn’t even lift those eyes to meet your gaze. 

“Time’s up!” Mercurius cut in. It clearly hadn’t been five minutes, but you knew it was just to slight Gabriel even more. You let Mercurius drag you away, knowing that you’d never get to see Gabriel again.

Suddenly, a heavy black mist exploded into the room. You lost your sight almost instantly and the smell was god awful. Mercurius swore, his grip on you tightening. The temperature in the room dropped rapidly and you heard the door leaving the room slam shut, the sound of it locking punctuating the tension in the room. 

“I’m not playing these games, Reyes.” Mercurius called out. You were jerked toward Mercurius as he moved suddenly. “I’ll kill (y/n) right here, right now.”

Something moved in the darkness in front of you. A hand reached out, brushing your cheek with it’s icy fingers. The sensation was one that was all too familiar. You brought a hand up to grab hold of it, but it slipped away and your hand rested where it had just touched. A chill ran down your spine as the mist tickled at your skin, running up one of your arms and stopping just below your ear. 

**“Close your eyes.” ** Reaper’s voice whispered, his cold breath tickling your ear. **“Do not open them until I tell you to do so.”**

You closed your eyes and you closed them tightly. 

If only you could have covered your ears to block out the horrendous sounds of torture that filled the room for the next several minutes.


	5. Set Me Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, but I promise the epilogue will be longer.

When the room fell silent, you knew it was over. Mercurius was dead, killed at the hands of Reaper. You hadn’t opened your eyes once and you did not want to. Whatever Reaper had done had to have been horrendously cruel. The man’s cries of agony echoed in your ears still and there had been moments when you nearly vomited from the grotesque sounds of Reaper tearing into the man. Even worse was the scent-- the stinging scent of iron still filled the room as well as the malodorous one of Mercurius’ bodily functions. 

There had been no other sounds, no tell if Reaper had disappeared or not. He could teleport at whim, so he could have already vanished. You listened closely, hoping that you weren’t left alone with Mercurius’ surely battered corpse. In the quiet of the room, aside from yourself, you eventually heard the familiar raspy breathing of Reaper. Relief flooded you knowing you weren’t left alone.

“Reaper?” you said, your voice hoarse and shaky. 

** “You are safe now.”** he reassured, though still from a distance.  **“It is over.”**

“Can you guide me out of the room?” you asked, nervously. Would he do it? What would he do now that he was in control? “I don’t want to see--”

A hand, firm and cold, gently grabbed one of your wrists hanging by your sides. You flinched momentarily and regretted it instantly. Gabriel was there too, or so you hoped. You couldn’t tell but, regardless, he pulled and you followed. His feet made no sound on the floor as he guided you. It was a bit unsettling, but you had been through worse. Your knees shook with every step and he seemed to have noticed, moving slowly. He stopped momentarily, probably to open the door, before continuing.

Just as suddenly as he had taken hold of your wrist, he let go. You opened your eyes, reaching out before you could even fully see and grabbed hold of his hand. “Please, don’t go.” you said. You followed where you held his hand, up his arm and to that handsome head of unruly curls. The black mist still cloaked his body and he did not turn to meet your gaze. He tried to pull away, but you held tight. 

“I’m not letting you run from me this time.” Reaper may have gained control, but you knew Gabriel would hear your words. The two would stay and listen to you, whether either wanted to or not. “Please.”

**“(Y/n)--”**

You reached out, pulling his chin so he was looking at you. His eyes were those endless and emotionless black pools, but you could see his emotions etched in his scarred face-- grief, regret, and true sorrow. Your fingers gently caressed at his cheek, enjoying the feeling of him beneath them. How long had it been since you’d touched him, let alone seen him? You dropped his hand and let it join the other on his other cheek. He did not move as you traced the scars along his jaw, across his cheeks, your fingers finding their way to intertwine in his hair.

“I missed you.” you whispered, not caring if it was Reaper in control. You’d accepted that Gabriel and him were one in the same, that both loved you and would know that you loved them. The expression of such a deep sadness, of his quiet repentance for all that had happened, broke your heart. It wasn’t just Gabriel’s emotions shining through, but Reaper’s as well. You couldn’t tell the difference and knew that there wasn’t a difference-- they were one. Laying a hand over where his heart thumped wildly in his chest, you repeated your words with emphasis. “I missed  ** _you_ ** .”

**“I--” ** Reaper choked, his eyebrows furrowing and his mouth open for a few moments before he quickly shut it. The outer corners of his eyes crinkled and the next time he opened his mouth, a quiet sob passed his lips. You watched a single tear fall, followed by another and then another. He sank to his knees in front of you, his hands holding your waist as he laid his head at the bottom of your rib cage.  **“I’m sorry--”** he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.  **“For everything, for the pain and loss I’ve caused you. I’m so very sorry.”**

You felt your own emotions overwhelming you and began to cry with him. You joined him on your knees and pulled him into your arms, hugging him tightly. You pressed kisses to his cheeks and to his forehead, your tears mixing with his. The longer you held him, the more you seemed to fall apart. Your hands trembled you couldn’t stop yourself from sobbing quietly.

**“The life the child could have had.” ** Reaper said, voice trembling.  **“Would you have let me be part of it?”**

“Yes. Of course.” you answered. “I’ve been looking for you since you sent me away. I never stopped hoping we’d find you, that I could tell you myself.”

Reaper’s fingers ghosted over your abdomen, tracing the curve of your belly.  **“It is my fault. I should have been there to protect both of you.”**

“Don’t say that. You couldn’t have known.” you argued. “I don’t blame you.”

Reaper said nothing, falling silent as he mourned the loss of your child. 

“Promise me you won’t run anymore.” You held onto the front of his coat, your hands balled in the fabric. You pulled away to look him in the eyes, hoping it would help convince him. There was nothing you wanted more than to end this habit of his, to finally end his avoidance of his feelings for you and his fear of those feelings. “Promise me.” you said softly. “I can’t lose you too.”

**“I--”**

“(Y/n)!” Jesse shouted as he ran into the house. He stopped as he noticed the two of you. From the open door behind him, Jack slowly walked in. He was sporting a split lip, the start of a pretty nasty shiner, and his nose was swollen from probably being broken.

Reaper was on his feet in an instant, leaving you where you knelt. His eyes were trained on Jack, a cross expression on his face.  **“You.”** he growled.  **“This is your fault.”**

“I know.” Jack admitted, meeting the venomous gaze of Reaper. He looked to Jesse, who gave an encouraging nod. “I can’t take back what I’ve done, but I am going to spend the rest of my life making up for it. I am truly sorry, Gabriel.”

Reaper growled and you slipped one of your hands into his, squeezing it gently. “It is alright.” you reassured him. His hand tightened around yours and you hoped it was because he was trying to restrain his anger.

“Easy there, boss.” Jesse chimed in. 

“I also owe you my apologies, (y/n).” Jack said as he looked at you, his voice becoming softer. “You never should have been dragged into this. And,” Jack breathed deeply before continuing. “I hope I can one day earn your forgiveness.”

“You alright there, darling?” Jesse asked. He was perhaps the most concerned for you at that moment. With Jack having kidnapped you and Reaper there in the room with you, he probably thought you were scared shitless. You were done with being afraid and, honestly, you were so emotionally exhausted you probably couldn’t be afraid even if you wanted to. 

“As fine as I can be.” you responded.

“We should probably get going.” Jesse continued. “Need to get you to the hospital. Jack too.”

You nodded in agreement. Still holding onto Reaper’s hand, you climbed to your feet. You still wanted to talk to Reaper, knowing you wouldn’t have the chance to for a while in the presence of Jesse and Jack. “Give us a few moments.”

“Of course.” Jesse said, looking between you and Reaper. He knew something was up, but wasn’t sure quite what it was. He would respect your request regardless, it seemed. “We’ll just be waiting in the transport.”

You waited until Jesse and Jack left before turning back to Reaper. He was already looking at you and you smiled softly at him. “Stay with me. Please.”

**“I can’t.” ** Reaper breathed, a hand coming up to brush some of your hair from your face. He tucked the strands behind your ear and traced his fingers down to cup your cheek. You leaned into his hand, trying your best to understand and to not fall apart all over again.

“I kind of felt you’d say that.” you sighed sadly.

**“I can’t stay, but Gabriel can.”**

“Why? I thought you wanted--” you started, confused as to why Reaper was giving up. He had control and that was what he had been fighting for so desperately. Yet here he was, willing to give it up. “Don’t you want to stay with me?”

**“I do, but I can’t give you what Gabriel can.” ** Reaper explained.  **“He will keep you safe. He will make you happy. Our fight has gone on for too long. We are both tired of it and I can’t let you come to further harm. You’ve already been through so much.” ** He leaned forward, pressing an icy kiss to your forehead. 

“Will I ever see you again?” you asked.

**“I don’t think so.”** Reaper answered.  **“I will still be part of Gabriel, but I won’t plague your lives any longer. I can’t continue poisoning this world with my darkness. You’ve seen what I am capable of.”**

“I understand.” you said softly, sadly. He had once been the source of your fear, of your worst nightmares, but now you found yourself sad he was forcing himself to go. You wished he could remain for just a while longer, to relish in his success and then leave for good. “Won’t you--”

**“(Y/n), you know I have to go.” **

“But--”

**“If you care for me, for Gabriel, you will let me go.” ** Reaper pulled away from you, looking you in the eyes.  **“Free me and go back to your life. Forget me so I can forget you.” ** At that moment, you knew he was going to leave whether you accepted it or not. He had made up his mind and maybe he was right about Gabriel being able to care for you, but it had been both of them who came to your rescue. They shared the same mind and body, the same love for you, but it was clear that one would have to leave for either of them to stay at all. 

“I--” You paused, unsure of what to say. It wasn’t fair, but you knew there was nothing you could do. Forgetting him would be difficult, but you’d put him out of your mind. You would return to your life, if not for him than for yourself. Pulling yourself together, you took a deep breath before speaking for the last time to the man who had instigated this whole mess, but who had also come to have a small piece of your heart. “Goodbye, Reaper.”

Reaper shrugged off his coat and put it around you. He laid the heavy fabric on your shoulders, surprisingly warm despite his body being so cold. You grabbed the lapels, pulling it tight around you. It smelled of him, of Gabriel, of the woods and you breathed it all in, letting it comfort you. Reaper leaned in and pressed one last kiss to your forehead, his eyes not leaving yours as he pulled back.  **“I love you. Take care.”**

With that said, Reaper disappeared, never to be seen again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I forget to mention the epilogue would be longer AND juicier? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	6. Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years after the events at the safe house in the woods...

“Check mate.” Jesse declared triumphantly, leaning back and lacing his hands behind his neck. 

“How-- what--” Reinhardt stammered in disbelief. He leaned forward, scanning the board and seeing clearly that Jesse had won. The man huffed angrily and grabbed the box for the chess pieces, sweeping the remaining ones into it. “This is the last time I play you at chess, cowboy.” he muttered, shaking the box of pieces at Jesse who looked on smugly. 

“I’m just too good, it seems.” Jesse said. “Eight games in a row. Maybe I should play chess more often.”

You glanced up from your book, watching as Reinhardt walked over to the shelf on the wall to put away the game. He turned around and you bit your lip to keep from laughing at his uncharacteristically sour expression.

“It’s alright, Rein.” you said. The man looked at you, still frowning. “Jesse is god awful at poker. I never fail to catch him cheating. Maybe we can play some after dinner.”

“Hey!” Jesse exclaimed, scowling at you. “I do not cheat.”

Meanwhile, Reinhardt’s face lit up, mischief twinkling in his eyes. “I would be more than happy to play a game or two.” the German said excitedly, his voice booming in the relatively large sitting room. He looked at Jesse pointedly. “Or eight.”

Jesse rose from his seat at the table, stretching and taking a deep breath. He breathed even deeper upon catching the delicious scent of Ana’s cooking wafting from the kitchen. You too noticed the wonderful smells and, as if on cue, your stomach growled loudly. Reinhardt chuckled at the two of you, walking towards the kitchen. “I will go and check if the food is ready.” 

Closing your book, you set it aside on the end table next to you. Jesse made his way over and plopped down on the couch next to you. “You’re very sly, you know.” you commented, referring to the games of chess he had just played with Reinhardt. “You better be glad that I didn’t tell him you were cheating.”

“Me? Cheating?” Jesse scoffed, though he was fighting back that mischievous smirk of his and failing. “I would never, (y/n).”

“Mhmm.” you hummed knowingly. His tactic was to get Reinhardt talking about something excitedly to distract him long enough to move a piece or two. You’d glanced up from your book a handful of times and caught him doing just that. “You better play a fair game of poker tonight or I might just tell him.”

Jesse chuckled. “Alright. Alright, I’ll play fair. Suppose I shouldn’t go around cheating the elderly.”

“You shouldn’t be cheating anyone.” you added pointedly. 

Reinhardt poked his head back into the room, a taste test of dinner clearly caught in his beard. “Food is ready, my friends!” he exclaimed. “Ana says to hurry or it will get cold.” The man said no more and returned, quite hurriedly, to the kitchen. 

“Well, I won’t waste a moment.” Jesse said, standing up. He looked to you, “You going to--”

“Yeah. I’ll be there in a moment.” you answered, rising from the couch. You stretched a little and noticed he was still there. “Go on ahead. I won’t be long.”

Jesse nodded and headed for the dining room. You sighed happily and headed down the hall and up the stairs near the front door of the house. The staircase was grand and elegant, made of a dark rich wood. You admired it nearly every time you had to climb or descend the steps. Photos of Ana’s daughter, Fareeha, were hung on the wall. Each one made you smile, knowing Ana was such a loving mother. She had been so nice to invite you all out to stay and it had provided a chance to get away from the bustle of city life; not to mention how lovely her home in Egypt was.

You reached the top of the steps and hurried down the hall until you reached the first door on the left. Your hand reached out, resting on the door knob but not opening it. The corners of your mouth twitched into a smile as you listened to what was going on behind the closed door. Peals of adorable laughter could be heard, along with the telling of a favorite story involving a little girl and a big bad wolf. You hesitated a moment longer, not wanting to interrupt, but knowing Ana would not be happy if a majority of the household was late to the dinner table. 

Slowly, you twisted the door knob and pushed the door open. Your eyes panned from right to left, eventually landing on the sources of such innocent and pure joy. Gabriel was sitting in the middle of the bed, the treasured story book open next to him on the soft pink sheets. He had his hands hovering over his lap, fingers splayed to mimic the claws of the wolf in the story. In his lap, your daughter looked up at the hands with a delighted expression.

“And the big bad wolf lunged for Little Red Riding Hood, ready to eat her right up.” he narrated before making a snarling sound as his hands dove for the belly of your daughter, tickling her. The two year old squealed in delight, laughing as her father delighted her with his antics. He looked up, finding you watching both of them, and smiled warmly. He stopped tickling your daughter and sat her up in his lap. “It seems we’ll have to continue the story after dinner, Little Red Riding Hood.”

Your daughter, whom you called (name), made a disappointed sound. “I want story.” she whined, slumping back against Gabriel’s chest dramatically. 

“After dinner, pequeña.” Gabriel said, picking her up and setting her on the floor before standing himself. The little girl noticed you and came running over, throwing her arms out wide to hug you. She wrapped her outstretched arms around your legs and looked up at you with her eyes like Gabriel’s.

“Hi, mama.” she said. You bent down and scooped her into your arms, wondering just how you had been blessed with such a precious thing.

The events that occurred nearly five years prior seemed so distant. After your rescue, things happened so quickly. Gabriel was returned to you by Reaper who, as he promised, would no longer be a part of your lives. He couldn’t believe it himself, but you had known that he would with time.

After being discharged from the emergency room, there were a lot of things still uncertain. You had to deal with the emotional trauma of losing your child, not to mention having been kidnapped, held hostage, and the whole situation with Jack. As well as that, you would finally be able to go back to living the life you were before.

That was easier said than done. 

It took a good two years for you to get back to where you were before everything had happened. Therapy and the company of Jesse and Genji helped you greatly. Simply having that support was something that you could never be grateful for enough. Much to your refusal, you took up an office job for Gabriel’s company that he had offered to you himself.

Your dynamic with Gabriel was also something that took time to adjust. He still felt a lot of guilt and was dealing with the health issues that had instigated the unintentional creation of Reaper. It took him some convincing, but he sought help for the deterioration that the SEP enhancements from his youth were causing. Dr. Angela Ziegler who, as it had surfaced, Jack had been in contact with regarding Reaper’s condition during his investigation began to treat the genetic mutations.

He was still going in every month to have blood samples drawn and give feedback on how he was faring, but his situation had greatly improved. The fevers and low temperatures had evened out. A lot of the other symptoms had also lessened. He felt more at ease with his body and mind, something he had once considered impossible.

When it came to his interaction with you, for quite some time, your conversations were brief and strictly professional. It wasn’t until a year after things had gone back to normal that you started to reconnect with him on a deeper level. Before you knew it, you were in a flourishing relationship with the man. You eventually moved out of the apartment with Jesse and Genji and in with Gabriel. It took another year before Gabriel upped and proposed.

Since then, you’d had (daughter) and been living the life you’d always dreamed of. Gabriel traveled often for work and would bring the both of you along. Jesse was also an accessory on these trips, as he was still the head of security. Business was the ultimate reasoning behind your trip out to Ana and Reinhardt’s home. Gabriel had brought you and (daughter) alone to soften up Ana before he made a business proposal to the stone-like businesswoman. 

“Let’s go, you two.” Gabriel urged as he walked over to join you. He pulled you close and pressed a kiss to your temple. “Can’t keep Grandma Amari waiting.”

The three of you made your way back down the stairs and to everyone waiting in the dining room. You were all welcomed warmly and took your seats, sitting next to Gabriel with (daughter) between you and Ana. Dinner was impeccably delicious, a traditional meal of the Amari residence. The entire time, you all exchanged pleasant conversation and enjoyed the company of each other. Ana doted on your daughter a lot, perhaps too much, but it was quite endearing. When dessert was brought out, you couldn’t help but note the unreasonably sized portion for a two year old.

“You’re going to be the death of me, Ana.” Gabriel grumbled, having also noted the large serving of the sugary dish. You’d already attempted to take some of the dessert away, but had received a defending smack from the woman sitting on the other side of your daughter. “She is two and her bed time is in an hour.”

“Are you telling me that you can’t put a two year old to bed, Gabriel?” Ana questioned mockingly. When he didn’t answer, likely with the reasoning that he couldn’t find something amicable to respond with, she tutted at him in a motherly fashion before turning to (daughter). “It looks like Grandma Amari is going to be putting you to bed tonight.” she cooed.

Jesse was chuckling at the situation when Reinhardt, who was sitting next to him, patted him on the back. Though, it was less of a pat and more of a hardy slap. It caught the man off guard and he choked on the bite of the dessert he’d just taken. “We’ll have to play a round of poker now, cowboy.” Reinhardt laughed. “I’ll go grab the deck of cards.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the expression of mild terror on his face as he tried to breathe normally again. However, it seemed that his game of poker would have to be put off for a little while. At that moment, his phone rang and he excused himself to answer it. You knew, Gabriel as well, that it was Jack reporting in. 

Jack had been tasked with seeing the fall of Talon, to which he had happily obliged. Working with a task force funded by Gabriel’s business along with the government, he had been pursuing that goal for close to four years now. Their goal was not quite in sight yet, but everyone hoped that it would be soon.

It had taken some time, but you had found it in yourself to forgive him. While you didn’t talk regularly, you still knew he was ever the repentant man and was doing his best to right his wrongs and those of Talon. Something that had helped your forgiveness towards the man was witnessing the rescue of the leverage Talon had on him, a man by the name of Vincent. At the same time, that faction of the organization that had plagued the city was dismantled and officials and agents were taken into custody. You remember being there the day that Jack and Vincent were reunited, remembering the beautifully touching moment they embraced with tears in their eyes. The two were happily married shortly thereafter and often came to the events hosted by Gabriel.

You watched Jesse leave before turning back to (daughter), who was eating her dessert ravenously. You frowned and let out a sigh. “Ana, please, she shouldn’t be eating that much sugar.” you worried, hoping the woman would listen to you. She was a mother, she probably understood quite well that (daughter) wouldn’t be put to bed easily. “She won’t be going to bed anytime soon if she finishes that all.”

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t let your husband bring her along to sway me into a new contract with him.” Ana said accusingly. It seemed she picked up on Gabriel’s tactic and reasoning. Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, but she hushed him. “Gabriel, you know very well that nothing slips by me. Your security chief wouldn’t be here if it weren’t a business trip.”

“Ana, I would never--”

“Let me stop you there.” she interrupted, holding up a hand towards your husband. She turned to you, giving a beaming warm smile that you knew would turn cold the moment she continued speaking to Gabriel. “(Y/n), why don’t you and (daughter) head upstairs to get ready for bed. I have business to discuss with your husband.”

“(Y/n), you don’t have to listen--” Gabriel tried cutting in, but was unsuccessful.

Ana grabbed (daughter)’s plate gently and wiped a bit of the dessert from her cheek with a napkin. “Bedtime for this one.” she cooed, patting your daughter on the head as she set the unfinished dessert aside. 

“Hey.” she whined. 

“You can have more tomorrow, dearling.” Ana said. “I promise. Alright?”

Your daughter begrudgingly agreed and you were thankful she didn’t start a tantrum then and there. Ana then looked to you, motioning for you to leave the room. You knew arguing was pointless and you couldn’t help but smile at the situation. Picking up (daughter), you decided to listen to your gracious host. “Goodnight, Ana.” you bid. “Everything was delicious.”

“Your welcome, dear.” she said. “Goodnight.”

“Gabriel.” you said, your tone loaded with all the things you were refraining from saying-- don’t make a fool of yourself, be honest, and nail your proposal. “I will see you later.”

With that, you left the room to put (daughter) to bed, hoping your husband would live to see the next day.

**…**

You were waiting up for Gabriel in your room, reading the same book you had been before dinner. It had been a good two hours since you’d left the dining table. (Daughter) had fallen asleep about thirty minutes before you’d climbed into bed and started reading. Every so often, you’d glance up from the book to see if Gabriel would come walking in. Your thoughts hadn’t strayed from him for the entire time you’d been away from him.

As you glanced up yet again, whilst worrying a lip, your husband came walking in from the open door. Shutting it behind him, he turned back around to face you. He looked utterly exhausted and wordlessly walked over to sit next to you on the bed. The moment he relaxed with his back against the headboard, you set your book aside and moved closer, sidling up next to him. 

“How did it go?” you asked, a hand coming to lay over his chest.

“After the verbal lashing for using our daughter as a means to soften her up,” Gabriel started tiredly. Your fingers lightly traced back and forth in the same spot, his shirt moving with them and rubbing against his chest. “She actually agreed to the contract.”

“Gabriel, that’s great!” you exclaimed. “I knew you could do it.”

“We’ll have more to discuss later, but she is quite willing to sign the contract.” Gabriel explained, putting an arm around your shoulders to pull you closer. “Let’s just hope that doesn’t change by the time we talk again tomorrow. Did you finish the story with (daughter)?”

“Of course.” you respond. “We had to go through it from the beginning though. She wouldn’t let me start from almost the end and had to remind me how you do it.” Bedtime and storytime truly were Gabriel’s strong points when it came to your daughter. “You really are amazing with her, Gabriel. Much better than I am.”

“That isn’t true.” Gabriel argued, leaning down and pressing soft kisses from your forehead to your jaw. “You’re a wonderful mother.” He kissed your chin on the left side. “You’re the strongest woman I know.” Then he kissed the opposite side.. “And--” The next kiss was on your lips and lasted longer than the others. When he pulled back, the look in his eyes had you melting. “You’re my beautiful wife.”

“Gabriel…” you breathed.

Gabriel’s warm hands slipped under the hem of your night shirt, lifting it up and over your head. You slipped your arms out and he cast the shirt aside. His fingers danced across your exposed abdomen, slowly moving towards your newly exposed chest. They soon came in contact with the underside of your breasts and you gasped as he cupped your breasts, squeezing them firmly. 

All the while, he pressed soft kisses and gently nipped at your neck. Between each, he whispered words of love to you, of promises he intended to keep, of spending the evening pleasuring you like the goddess you were. A particularly rough nip at the skin near your collarbone drew a quiet moan from your lips. Gabriel pressed a soft kiss to the same spot, his eyes looking up to meet yours as he did.

“Cariño…” he purred as one of his hands trailed downwards from your breast, the other one playing with the sensitive nub it had just found on the other. As his fingers pinched and twisted your nipple, toying with it and making you squirm, his other hand slid between your legs. He quickly discarded your underwear, tossing them to be forgotten somewhere in the room. His fingers ghosted over your outer lips, teasing your wet and pulsing sex. When he didn’t move them in further, you whined and tried to push your hips up into his hand. He easily pulled away and chuckled. “Do you want something, (y/n)?”

“Touch me, Gabriel.” you begged, your hands grabbing the sheets beneath you as you tried to ground yourself from the deep arousal that had come over you. He hadn’t touched you like you wanted, but you felt as if your world was spiraling out of control. You felt hot and were desperate for some kind of relief from his teasing touches. “Please.”

When his fingers slipped between your legs and into you, you nearly cried out. His palm ground against your clit as he worked his fingers in and out of you. It felt like heaven as he curled his fingers back and forth, making you see stars with every stroke. Your body only became hotter from his ministrations and you did not know how much longer you would last.

His other hand had moved down and pushed your legs wider, allowing him better access to your center. It came back up and rested on your hip, rubbing firm circles that sent shivers up your spine. Despite his other hand working you, you felt as if you were insatiable. You needed more. You needed your husband.

You shakily pushed yourself up and pulled away from Gabriel. His fingers slipped from you, making you whine at the emptiness, but you were determined. Placing your hands on either side of his face, you pulled him into a deep kiss. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in even closer. With him distracted, you made your next move.

Your hands slid from his cheeks and found their way to the waistband of his pants. You smiled against his lips as your fingers worked at the button and zipper. Gabriel groaned when one of your hands dipped inside and cupped his hard member through his underwear. You could feel the heat radiating off of him and the pulsing beneath your palm and it made you want him all the more. 

Gabriel pulled back from your lips, with a quiet laugh. “Find something you want?” he teased, his hips pushing towards your hand, his cock pressing harder against you. A gentle squeeze drew a rumbling moan, almost like a purr, from the man. 

“Maybe I have.” you said coyly, while your fingers toyed with the elastic band of his underwear. 

Gabriel pushed you back down to lay on your back with a growl that had you getting excited. He pushed his pants the rest of the way down and his underwear was quick to join them at the foot of the bed. His shirt was cast aside as well, leaving him as nude as you were. You couldn’t help but admire him as you always did, but something about how he looked in that moment just captured your attention. 

The light cast by the lamp on the nightstand next to the bed made it look like there was fire in his eyes as he slowly crawled forward. You were captive to the rolling muscles of his arms as they stretched out to support him. His chest rose and fell like a great beasts as he breathed deeply. Drifting lower, the chiseled planes of his abdomen were tense. Even lower, you felt a rush of arousal at the sight of his hard cock bobbing between his legs, the tip glistening with precum. 

Your heart thundered in your chest as he moved to cover your body with his, his gaze hungry and lustful. He paused, staring down at you. A sensation not unlike reaching the top of a roller coaster just before it drops came over you. Your breathing quickened and it felt like you were at the start of something indescribably exciting. Your world quickly narrowed to Gabriel hovering over you, your eyes locked and your body quivering in anticipation.

You opened your mouth to tell him to move, to take you, but he cut you off by entering you so suddenly it took your breath from you. It was as if you’d never felt him inside you before-- he felt indescribably warm, filling you completely as if you were meant for him and him alone. Your toes curled and fire and ice flooded your veins when he began to move.

He whispered your name as he pistoned his hips, yours meeting them every time to match his fervor. You cried out his, even when it seemed like you wouldn’t be able to speak at all. At some point, tears started to roll down your cheeks and you sobbed from the pleasure he was building within you. 

When you began to feel the beginning of your end, your eyes screwed shut tightly and your hands fought to find purchase around his neck, nails digging into his shoulders. He growled and increased the pace as you lost the ability to match it. The sounds your bodies were creating grew distant and your vision narrowed to his concentrated face as he worked you towards your climax. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was biting his lip so hard you were sure it would have been bleeding. His normally kempt hair was messy and strands of it were in his face. 

“Gabriel.” you moaned helplessly, on the edge of climaxing. “Please. Please.”

Your begging drew an animalistic growl from your husband and his hips snapped one more time, sending you over the edge. Stars sparked your vision and your body convulsed from the rush of pleasure and emotion created by your climax. You felt your walls spasming around him as he continued to move, seeking his own end. Your tears flowed even more, your release feeling like the sweetest torture and the most passionate pain. You wanted to whisper words of love to Gabriel, you wanted to shout it from the rooftops, but your lips couldn’t even move to form the words.

When Gabriel found his release, he buried his head in your shoulder and let out a deep and long moan. His hips continued pushing in and out of you as he filled you with his seed. The sensation sent another whirling wave of pleasure through you. Gabriel whispered sweetly in your ear, strings of beautiful sentences in Spanish followed by praises and professions of his undying love for you. Your body was spent and you laid their immobile as Gabriel slowly stilled his own movements and fell silent as you were.

He rolled to the side and pulled you with him. In the process, he slid out from inside you and you shuddered as you felt the mix of your bodily fluids trickle out and onto your thighs. Gabriel’s arms held you against him tightly and the side of your head rested in the middle of his chest. You could hear his heart and the sound calmed you, drawing you deeper into your exhaustion.

“Are you alright?” Gabriel asked, his words rumbling in his chest and momentarily covering the sound of his heartbeat. One of his hands toyed with a strand of your hair, twirling it around his finger and letting it fall only to be picked up again. “That wasn’t too much?”

“I’m fine.” you breathed. You were better than fine but couldn’t voice that. “Tired, but satisfied. Thoroughly.”

Gabriel chuckled and kissed the top of your head. “I love you, (y/n). Never forget that-- not today nor tomorrow.”

“Never.” you affirmed softly, as you were starting to drift off to sleep. Gabriel reached down and pulled the rumpled sheets over the two of you, though you were sure he could keep you warm for the night. Your eyes grew heavy and you yawned deeply, your exhaustion seeping into your body even more. “Never.” you repeated as sleep hung at the edges of your consciousness.

As you sank into a deep sleep, a slight chill traced down your spine and that word was repeated like a cold breeze against your neck.

** _“Never.”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone for reading! This story has been so much fun to write and I'm so glad so many of you have enjoyed it. I hope to write more for you all in the future, so keep an eye out! Following me at andimpink-on-ao3 on Tumblr will be a good way to keep up with any upcoming stories, but subscribing to me here on AO3 is also a good idea. Once again, thank you for reading and I hope to have more for you soon!

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT UPDATE 1/20/2020: I have come to the decision to leave There's Always a Tomorrow as the solitary ending to A Dangerous Game. I had promised two more endings but , under the reasoning that I am a working full-time college student, I hope you understand that writing two more endings on top of There's Always a Tomorrow is just not feasible. In the future, I might write the other endings I had in mind and post them separately, but I cannot guarantee this will happen. Yet again, I thank you for reading A Dangerous Game and hope you enjoy this ending.


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